Municipal elections (the only public polls in Saudi) take place in the country on Thursday and will be the last set where women are banned from participating. The next set will take place in 4 years' time. Admittedly, in an absolute monarchy it's questionable what immediate effect the reforms will have.

Activist Wajeha al-Huwaider said that King Abdullah's announcement was "great news" adding, "now is the time to remove other barriers like not allowing women to drive cars."

The right to drive is the focus of ongoing campaigns in Saudi Arabia, and while many of the activists greeted yesterday's announcement with happiness, the focus on new rights remains.